Abstract
In an intertidal Zostera noltii Hornem seagrass bed, food sources used by sediment meiofauna were determined seasonally by comparing stable isotope signatures (δ13C, δ15N) of sources with those of nematodes and copepods. Proportions of different carbon sources used by consumers were estimated using the SIAR mixing model on δ13C values. Contrary to δ15N values, food source mean δ13C values encompassed a large range, from −22.1 ‰ (suspended particulate organic matter) to −10.0 ‰ (Z. noltii roots). δ13C values of copepods (from −22.3 to −12.3 ‰) showed that they use many food sources (benthic and phytoplanktonic microalgae, Z. noltii matter). Nematode δ13C values ranged from −14.6 to −11.4 ‰, indicating a strong role of microphytobenthos and/or Z. noltii matter as carbon sources. The difference of food source uses between copepods and nematodes is discussed in light of source accessibility and availability.
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Acknowledgments
This study is part of B. Lebreton’s Ph.D. thesis, which was supported by the French Ministry for Higher Education and Research, and participated to the MARBEF FoodWebio and COMPECO projects. Funding was also obtained through the research programs ‘ACI Ecologie Quantitative’ and ‘Programme National d’Environnement Côtier’, and the Poitou–Charentes Region programme CPER 2007–2013. The authors thank M. Bréret, F. Mornet, P. Pineau, T. Guyot, J. Pigeot, D. Vilday for their help during field work and C. Pfléger for her help in sample preparations, as well as the staff at the ‘Réserve naturelle nationale de Moëze-Oléron’. B. Lebreton is grateful to L. Hutchison for language corrections and to the 4 anonymous referees, which comments greatly improved earlier manuscript drafts.
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Lebreton, B., Richard, P., Galois, R. et al. Food sources used by sediment meiofauna in an intertidal Zostera noltii seagrass bed: a seasonal stable isotope study. Mar Biol 159, 1537–1550 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-012-1940-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-012-1940-7